


Nightmares of Red, Dreams of Blue

by sprucewoodcottage (ironmermaidens)



Category: Hermitcraft
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, mmhmmb!verse, vex ex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:16:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27447736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironmermaidens/pseuds/sprucewoodcottage
Summary: Evil X has a nightmare about the red sun world. Cub comforts him.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 40





	Nightmares of Red, Dreams of Blue

**Author's Note:**

> I believe I mentioned in the notes of What If that vEX was originally conceived as a sequel/epilogue to MMHMMB before evolving into its own thing. Here's a little something I wrote to bridge the gap between the two stories, set well after MMHMMB, and at an indeterminate place in the vEX timeline. Technically non-canonical to either story, now, but I still really enjoy it, and thought ya'll might as well.
> 
> Also I think the title, which I came up with when I first wrote this story several months ago, is very fitting given current events.

ConCorp is sprawling and maze-like, with alleys and corners and too many pathways. Navigating it during the day is difficult, and at night near impossible. Evil X doesn't know where the nether portal is. Does ConCorp even have one? His breath comes short and his hands shake. He feels tears welling in his eyes and he lifts his chin, tries to blink them away as he turns another corner, desperation mounting.

He wants to go home—no, not home. To Xisuma's. He had a nightmare, a nightmare about the red sun world. It had been such a long time. Some small, foolish part of him thought he might finally be over it. How stupid of him. How naive. The longer he searches for an easy exit from ConCorp, a quick path to Xisuma's base, the more frantic he becomes. Xisuma was the only one who would understand. He already knew how to handle it when Evil X had a nightmare. He knew what to do, exactly how to comfort him, how to set his mind at ease until he could fall back asleep. He wants to see Xisuma—no, he  _ needs _ to.

In the darkness of night, Evil X misses a raised step in the path. He trips on it, and his knees crack hard on the stone. He yelps and bites his lip against the sob working its way up his throat. He hunches in on himself, wraps his arms around his torso, worries his lip between his teeth until he tastes blood. He cries out, and throws a hand over his mouth to muffle the sound. It's too late, though, he knows. The floodgates had been opened, and all he could do now was ride it out until he could drag himself off the path and back to bed. No point in bothering Xisuma with this anymore. Maybe there hadn't ever been a point to begin with. 

He isn't sure how long he sits hunched there, sobbing into his hand and shaking, tears dripping onto the stone beneath him when he's discovered.

"Evil Xisuma?" He hears Cub call from behind him, and he curls in on himself further. "What are you doing out here?"

Evil X is sure that if he tries to respond he'll only end up sobbing harder, so he shakes his head. He hopes maybe Cub will leave him to it. He hopes Cub will forget he ever saw him like this, pretend it never happened. Of course he doesn't, though. Of course he wouldn't leave a fellow convex curled up on the pavement crying in the dark. Evil X hears Cub come closer, hears him kneel beside him. Feels Cub's hand on his back, rubbing small, comforting circles into it. Evil X bites his lip again.

"Are you alright, Evil Xisuma?" Cub asks gently. Evil X shakes his head again. He's not even a little okay. And now that Cub is here, he thinks he might be worse. This is exactly the sort of scenario he was hoping to avoid. "What's wrong?"

"B-Bad," Evil X stutters out, his breath hitching in shuddering gasps. "Bad. Bad. D-Dream."

His face feels hot, admitting to Cub his reason for having a panic attack in the middle of ConCorp grounds. What a stupid reason to be out here sobbing his eyes out. He should have just stayed in bed. He wishes he was home,  _ his _ home. His cave off the main island. At least from there he knew how to get to Xisuma's. At least then he wouldn't have been caught by Cub. 

"A nightmare?" Cub asks, sympathy in his voice. His hand is still on Evil X's back, a small comfort that reminds him of Xisuma. Evil X nods.

"R-Red. S-Sun." he says. After a beat and another shuddering gasp, he adds, "M-Mu-Mumbo."

"Oh," Cub says. "Oh, Evil Xisuma... C'mon. Let's get you inside. Can you stand?"

Evil X hesitates for only a moment before nodding. He thinks with Cub's help he could make it back to his room. Cub helps him to his feet and Evil X leans his weight against him. He doesn't trust himself to stay upright if he doesn't. 

They start moving, slowly to accommodate his shaking legs, but in what seems like the next instant Cub is helping him to sit down on his bed. He barely remembers the walk back. He certainly doesn't know the paths they took to get here. Evil X wraps his arms around himself again, and squeezes his eyes shut. He waits for Cub to leave. He feels the bed shift beside him and blinks his eyes open, turns to see Cub sitting beside him, a comfortable distance between them. 

"Can you tell me what you were doing out there, Evil Xisuma?" Cub asks, and his voice is still gentle. His tone is almost enough to make Evil X calm down, but the memory of his nightmare continues to lurk in the back of his mind. 

"X-Xi—'S-'Suma," he says. 

"You were trying to go see Xisuma?" Cub asks. Evil X nods. "Does he help you when you have nightmares like this?"

Evil X nods again.

"What does he normally do for you?" Cub asks. "Maybe I can help in his stead tonight."

Evil X's face burns again as he considers the offer. He's not close with either of the convex yet, not like he is with Xisuma. He glances at Cub, who watches him with a patient gaze. Evil X hesitates just a moment longer. Then, he lays down and rests his head in Cub's lap. After a moment he reaches up and takes Cub's hand in his own shaking ones and places it on his head. Like instinct, Cub's fingers begin to gently stroke through his hair. Evil X sucks in another painful gasp of air and lets it out slowly. As if by magic, he feels his racing heart slow down. 

"Xi-Xisuma asks me," Evil X says. "He asks me wh-what I dreamt about."

"What was your dream about?" Cub asks obligingly.

Evil X doesn't respond right away. He soaks in the feeling of Cub's fingers carding through his hair. He's not as gentle as Xisuma, his fingers moving just a little more mechanically, but he feels comforted by it nonetheless. 

"M-Mumbo killed e-everyone. Not just... Not just Grian and Iskall. A-And I watched it. And I c-couldn't do anything. T-To stop him." he says finally. "T-Too weak."

"It wasn't real, Evil Xisuma," Cub says without prompting. He seems to have picked up the script with little trouble. Evil X's heart isn't pounding against his rib cage as hard now. It isn't so difficult to breathe. "It didn't happen. We're safe. Alive. And so are you."

"We're safe..." Evil X repeats quietly. 

“We're safe," Cub agrees. His fingers have found a rhythm running through Evil X's hair, and Evil X closes his eyes, enjoys the way it feels. "You're safe."

"I'm safe..." Evil X says. "I'm safe."

"Do you want me to stay with you, Evil Xisuma?" Cub asks. 

Evil X doesn't hesitate this time. He nods. 

"Okay. I'll stay." Cub says.

When Evil X finally falls back asleep, he dreams of shimmering blue and cake. He dreams he's warm and safe and surrounded by love. He's surrounded by family.

**Author's Note:**

> I know what some of you are probably thinking: "Hey Ariel it's been like quite awhile since MMHMMB updated, and you said you were working on the next installment of vEX, what's going on there? Where are they?"
> 
> And to you I say— *throws a smoke bomb, disappears*
> 
> ...
> 
> *shuffles back in shamefully* Hey, we're all living the same 2020, right? It's been rough. I assure you those projects have not been abandoned though.
> 
> Side note, myself and RussetDown recently made a hermitcraft server on discord! The Unnamed Hermitship Server! It's a ship focused server, but obviously platonic content is welcome as well. If anyone is interested feel free to DM either of us on tumblr, or if you don't have a tumblr I'm also available @ironmermaidens on twitter, pillowfort, instagram, probably somewhere else too if none of those are options? 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Hope to see you all when the rest of my fics get updated again. c:


End file.
